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28
Jul 2024
How could Knaresborough traders benefit from the mayor's high street fund?
The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, has announced a new high street fund worth up to £10 million.
The four-year scheme is expected to launch this year, using money allocated from the Mayoral Investment Fund, part of the region’s 30-year, £540 million devolution deal.
Mr Skaith said:
High streets are not dying. They’re changing and we need to adapt. There’s no denying that high streets have been through a challenging time. We need to understand how those that have survived have adapted so that we can support them to help build resilience more broadly.
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire with business groups from across the region.
The Stray Ferret spoke to businesses in Knaresborough this week to ask how the fund could be used to improve the town.
Diane Houghton, from Wild Thing, a clothing shop on High Street, said the fund should begin with improving the aesthetic appeal of high streets.
She said:
I think we should focus on making it look good. There are some parts that look a bit shabby so we should all get together to make it feel special.
I think it would be nice to see the shops painted, we could all coordinate it and paint them bright pastel colours like towns you see on holiday.
Knaresborough Business Collective has tried to improve the appearance by installing free floral hanging baskets and pride flags in recent months.
Owner of Café Di Lucca, Julie Green, said Knaresborough needed a business-first approach to improve its high street.
She said:
There should be a focus on which shops open in the town, we need independents rather than more charity shops.
I also think cafés need more outside seating. A place for people to want to sit and stay, I often see people at the [market] cross eating sandwiches, and it is quite sad really, we should encourage people to stay.
Café Di Lucca
Another business calling for better support for independents is Natural Choice. Sally Woodhurst, shop manager, said:
There needs to be more incentives to open and stay in Knaresborough, everyone knows rent and business rates are high, so they need to offer something in return to make independents want to open here.
I also think more could be done with buses, the traffic is busy so a hopper bus like back in the 80s would be a good way to get people in.
Michael Landreth, founder of independent sho, The Yorkshire Beeswax Candle Co said:
Generally, more should be done to attract people, I think it would be helpful if some areas were pedestrianised during the day.
There should be more events on and more things happening on market days to bring people into town.
Michael Landreth
Businesses on Knaresborough’s Castlegate have different opinions on the merits of pedestrianising the street but they mostly agreed that parking and traffic could be improved.
A spokesperson for Trinket Gift and Home, based on Castlegate, said:
Parking is a big issue here which could be solved. It gets super-busy and costs quite a bit to get a permit. There are spaces but they are always full. I had a rep come to see me this week and it took him 40 minutes just to get parked and it just puts people off.
Parking is a familiar topic in Knaresborough, businesses have expressed frustration at shoppers being deterred due to not being able to get a space.
The issue came under the spotlight at a recent Knaresborough & District Chamber meeting where six ideas to make parking easier in in the town were raised.
The Mayor’s high street fund is expected to launch in the autumn.
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